Kuraiyama (Gloomy Mountain)
by nosealsforyou
Summary: An intelligence mission goes wrong when civilian women begin to go missing on Fire Country's border. A geisha with a suspect past calls for help from a travelling shinobi and gets more than she bargained for. Action/adventure/graphic combat and body horror descriptions/slight OC romance.
1. Chapter 1 - Entrance

"Between our two lives

there is also the life of

the cherry blossom."

 **― Matsuo Bashō**

There is a hint of spring in the air, I think - the leaves are in bud under the nestling sakura flowers.

Hantoki Village is not the largest place I've been. It's pleasing to the eye though. I let my eyes roam around its limits; the avenue I'm standing on leans gently towards the stone-plated waterfront, flanked by old-style, grey tiled-roof houses. At the door of each is a step down to the smooth road; some have plants in pots and toys belonging to children that have been forgotten about, at least for tonight, and others have men smoking outside. And flags, so many bright little flags, all hanging from the eave of one house to the one across the street.

In the morning they will flutter, I suspect, like petals in the wind. They're strung like ivy and their colours blend in a riot. The community spirit is strong in this region; all places are connected by the people living there, but it seems like the rural places celebrate it more. Maybe they connect closer with it - the majority of people here are civilians who don't worry about things of a more military nature. I remember the country paddocks as I walk past, dotted with farmhouses. It seems peaceful here. It's just an hour away from the borders of three countries but seeing is believing. I doubt any of the people here could stand to live in Konoha for very long though. Not the way it is now.

Although as of late Hantoki has not been peaceful either.

The road I'm on follows the waterfront like a faithful companion, and the soft, sweet sound of water lapping against the harbour is music to a tired man's ears. There are stairs here and there too, narrow alleys to another part of the village and what appears to be more of a busy, vibrant area. The odour of food wafts down - barbeque, the thick and heady smell of street food frying in carts, the soft scent of sweets. My stomach growls at the thought but I must press onwards.. maybe later I can come to investigate.

For the mission of course. But if there's time I want to sample Hantoki marmalade from its source instead of paying a small fortune for it at home.

There was hard work put into this town.. my geta make a clack-clack noise on the stone road. It's surprising that such a little backwater has had so much consideration and effort.

From what I see the roads curl around each other like the coils of a snake. A haphazard look to be sure, but a traditional one designed to funnel and disorient any invaders - maybe there was a castle here, years ago. It would explain the effort put into the village, from the thick, sturdy walls of each structure to the carefully carved woodwork, the arches overhead. Not even the most successful farmer could coordinate all this by himself, I muse, making my way up a set of stairs. I'll have to enquire about it. Maybe it would be a great book one day.

God, there is a place in the laneway in front of me that sells yakitori sticks and I falter. It won't take long to make, right? No. I'm already a little bit late as is, what harm will another five minutes be? It'll be fine.

It turns out to be extremely fine and as soon as a stick is swapped for ryo it's in my mouth. The best condiment for food is hunger, but this is a divine gift. Spices, perfect. Meat, juicy and warm, and I scarf it down. Irresistible. I order another two for the road, eating one and holding the other, and by the time I reach the village outskirts the rumble in my stomach has lessened to a dull roar.

A cute little place. Very novel, peaceful; a refuge from the outside world. There would be a big trade here for the festivals. Needs more girls though, of course, and the fact that I haven't seen any in the time I've been here…

Orochimaru was right about this town.

I've reached the place where all roads meet to one - the head of the serpent, and beyond here it disappears into the maple forests clinging to Kuraiyama. The gloomy mountain is the centrepiece of this area, shrouded in its mists and Hantoki lies in the giant's shadow. From here there is only one way forward - through into the forest, and up to find him.

* * *

The journey is not difficult, but it's long (especially wearing geta, which have a tendency to slip on stones if one is not careful). It must have taken at least an hour to climb, in the night no less. I see a warm light up ahead every so often. It seems to be getting brighter. Last time it was invitingly close - maybe a little longer.

The trees reach skywards and I follow their lines, stopping for a minute. They're like fingers pointing to the dark blue night and the glistening stars, some primitive kind of hand sign that only nature knows. Maybe they'll start to bud leaves soon, but.. for now they're a little spooky. It's not the first time I've been in a forest by myself, though, when you grow up in Konoha you're bound to find yourself amidst trees after dark.

The only thing is.. I'm not sure what, but this feels different. Alive and watching somehow, instead of the gentle life that growing things give off. Maybe there are animals here too, hiding in the dark. Or maybe -

There is a place in every shinobi where your mind ends and your instinct begins. Sometimes it's on the horizon.

Today, right now, it is gut-wrenchingly close.

I feel the hair rise on the back of my neck.

The sharp twiiii of a thrown kunai passes by my ear. I freeze. Any sound and the next one won't miss. Slow, spidery, my fingers creep to the kunai pouch strapped to my thigh. I brush it open.

Breathe: quiet through gritted teeth.

A shadow bursts from my left. The stench of metal floods my nostrils; sparks crash in the dark as kunai clash.

Move: fall back.

I drop to the ground. My geta clacks as my blow connects, the soft sound of breath knocked out of the opponent, a gasp to recover. Footsteps dash, and I'm not quick enough to follow, but I fling my kunai blindly into the darkness. The smell of red iron comes back on the breeze, but it must have just skimmed them - too subtle for a direct hit, and soft footfalls disappear into silence.

Shit.

They're gone now, whoever they are - I can't sense any chakra, and there's no noise apart from the creaking boughs of the maple.

I release the breath I've been holding and stand up, pressing forward. Maybe these things are related; the attack and the eerie forest, the women missing from the town. Either way, it's become urgent now - this mission has changed from a wait-and-see to one demanding direct attention.

And the best person to help is Orochimaru.


	2. Chapter 2 - Examine

"Do not hold back that which is departing; do not chase away that which is arriving."  
 **-** **Unknown**

"Will that be all?"

I don't bother to look at the girl—in fact, my attention is far from her. My notes are scattered across the table in an orderly fashion. I don't have the time to be talking to children; I don't have the time to be doing anything apart from preparing to brief Tsunade and Jiraiya.

"Go get your mistress."

The girl huffs a bit under her breath. Too bad I heard it. I choose to ignore the little brat and look over the paper in front of me.

Five women, and all gone missing in the last month. Nothing links them together apart from their civilian status and their connection to Hantoki Village—no work, no social tier, no family relation—nothing. Apparently this has happened before, years ago, from what I was able to glean from the overhead conversations of the other shinobi.

I bite my thumb in thought, and then sweep a strand of dark hair behind my ear. Is it possible that all these women have gone off to Hidden Grass or Rain? There wouldn't be much for them here, if at all—a little town by a lake, overshadowed by a mountain, and surrounded by farmland that no one travels to or visits unless it's absolutely necessary.

No, that can't be right.

I run my finger over the curve of my earring, trying to think. This whole situation is confusing, from the history of this dingy backwater town to the fact that all five women were civilians, and disappeared without a trace. Definitely the work of a shinobi or two. The inn itself is filled with ninja tonight but the atmosphere is quiet and brooding.

We've all got the jumps, maybe. The farmers here are starting to stare at outsiders and the air of the place has changed significantly since I arrived here two weeks ago. It certainly makes it harder to investigate, especially as a favour, when people are hesitant to let you access their town.

I straighten a little, feeling my spine crack in different parts, and sigh in relief. I've been sitting at this low table for hours puzzling over this goddamn mystery.

I pore over the paper and all the notes I've written. This isn't even my original mission, but Hiruzen-sensei clearly thought it was important—I thought he'd just give some advice or tell us not to worry about it, but if he's sending the rest of the team... It must be important. After all, why would he send me out by myself for my first mission but then order Tsunade and Jiraiya to this little hole in the wall?

The girl hasn't left, I've realised. I look down at her outstretched hand.

"What do you want, child?"

She stares at me steadily. "You can't just ask me to do things," she says matter-of-factly, "that's not how it works here. You need to pay me hard cash."

I almost laugh in her face.

"Either you go get your mistress, or I'll leave without paying anything at all."

What's her name—Pyon? I've heard her name called out by the madam of the inn and the two maiko—well... one, now. The child scuttles off indignantly, not bothering to close the sliding door behind her.

Aren't children brought up properly anymore? I reach out to the door, trying to close it, but it's held open as Jiraiya himself appears. He sinks down on the floor, groaning.

"What took you so long? Where's Tsunade?"

He eyeballs me. "She got stuck behind in Konoha, some kind of last minute medical thing. It would have been better if she did come though, you wouldn't believe what just happened." He proceeds to spin me a story about how he got attacked on the way. I'm sceptical, but unsurprised.

"And you just so happened to get targeted as you're making your way here."

"What's so important about this place?" he asks.

"One of those women I told Hiruzen-sensei about was working here. A maiko, one of the trainee hostesses, disappeared during a shrine visit—" I refer to my notes, "—four days ago. I'm waiting for her older sister to get here to ask her more questions."

Jiraiya eyes the closest scrap of notes, turning it around the right way. He scratches his head as he reads. "This whole situation is weird, Orochimaru. Why'd the old man ask us to come here so quick? It's a nice place, but... it doesn't really seem like the place for something bad to happen."

"I know as much about this as you do."

* * *

We sit in silence for a while and he finishes—wolfs down—the leftovers from dinner. I continue writing out the timeline of the disappearances and what I managed to glean from the sites, but there isn't much to go off without having insider knowledge or access to that most useful tool of the ninja, town gossip. Why the reunion for the entire team? Why would a shinobi target women from here, and especially from an inn which openly welcomes ninja from everywhere? What would the purpose of such a crime be?

There is an insistent, small child's voice—Pyon, it must be—and knocking at the wooden frame outside. Jiraiya lurches to his feet with a sigh and wipes his hands clean on his yukata. I watch him as he frowns, taking a look back just before the entrance to the room.

"That doesn't sound like a lady to me. Isn't it that little brat I saw earlier harassing someone for money?"

I wave my hand at him impatiently and he sighs again, wrenching the door open. "Yes?"

His entire demeanour changes in a split second and he immediately stands upright. "Oh, hello," he purrs smoothly. I feel a cringe lurch in my stomach and I can't hold back the eye roll. There must be a woman on the other side, one distinctly more mature and good-looking than the annoying kid from before.

Her voice is soft from what I hear, and the owner appears behind Jiraiya as he lets her in. She is a tall woman, a geisha for sure—ginger hair coiled in the traditional style, the light glinting off the band in her coif and the embroidered patches on her kimono, and bone-white makeup over her face.

"I hope I am not disturbing you," she says gently, bowing so slightly at the waist.

"You could never," Jiraiya reassures mildly.

I need to step in before this gets more uncomfortable than it already is. I don't need to see him in full courting form.

"Come sit down. We have a lot of questions for you—" I glare at Jiraiya as he meets my gaze with a smirk, "—specifically about what's happening here."

* * *

Miume looks over a map of the town, fingers tracing the main road that we would have walked up to get here. I've taken the time to mark where each woman was last seen, but I'm not sure if it's accurate or not. Although the tatami-lined room is small, her voice is low, soft and pleasant; she has a great sense of volume, and I appreciate that.

"This one here, this is close to where Mimiko lives." She taps the paper. "Her father came to ask if she was here in the morning. Sometimes the girls from the town come up for lessons or to come see if there are any men, like yourselves."

"Oh, are they pretty girls like you?"

Miume ducks her head. One dainty hand comes up to her mouth, covering a smile with her sleeve. "You are so kind."

I pinch the side of Jiraiya's foot under the table—the sensitive, fleshy part just above the arch. I don't need to look at him to know he's shooting daggers in my direction. "So, Mimiko left early that morning?" I pose.

"Yes, I am assuming so. She normally leaves for worship at dawn but does not take a long time—if I remember, her father was worried as it's not normal for her and no one saw her on the way back." Jiraiya writes down her remarks as she continues on. "She disappeared between dawn and breakfast—this is the same with the others too. We heard from visitors in town."

"And the maiko?"

The woman bows slightly. "She attends with her sister, but Kin was unwell that day. Gin is young, but she's cautious and wouldn't go anywhere with a stranger." Her smile creases the white mask of makeup a little. "It isn't proper for a maiko to travel by herself, but she insisted going early in the morning so no one could see. She is very strident in her faith, hn. Their parents passed away a few months ago."

I look over Jiraiya's notes form the last half-hour. He sips on his sake, leaning back against the backrest of the low-slung chairs we sit in.

Clearing my throat, I begin.

"This is what we know so far—each woman was taken between dawn and roughly 8 in the morning. Either they were going to a shrine or out doing chores, and it's possible that they were taken by someone they know or have seen before. There's no obvious link to any culprits, but I suspect that the perpetrator is either a skilled shinobi or working in a team with others."

Jiraiya exhales long through his nose, an old habit. "Do you have access to the full list of people who've stayed here over the last month?"

Miume nods. "Yes, I will give you our ledger." Her forehead furrows a little, upsetting the nicely outlined eyebrows. "I'm not certain how honest shinobi are, though, but... if I can help you, I will do my best. People are worried that this will keep on happening."

* * *

We follow her to our allocated room. The thick hem of her home kimono drags with a whisper over the wood. The rest of the inn is quiet - silent, rather, and I realise that it's past midnight.

Jiraiya meets my eyes with a frown as Miume slides open a door.

"This is not large, but it should be enough for you two. Do you require anything else? Food, or something to drink?"

We both decline and go inside. My appetite is gone and in place of my stomach, there's an uncomfortable flip-flopping of nerves. I feel too tired for having sat around the inn all day.

She leaves us with another gentle bow. Jiraiya drops his bag on the floor and groans, stretching his arms up above his head. I duck behind a modesty panel and shrug my yukata off.

"I feel like we're being played with," he comments suddenly, his voice muffled by the screen. "This whole place gives me the creeps... The ambience isn't quite right."

I didn't realise how cold it was until my shoulders were bare, and I hastily don a clean sleeping yukata. "We'll check it out tomorrow. Maybe you'll find something about here that you like."

"Miume was pretty. It wasn't a complete waste coming here, huh?" There's a hint of a grin in his words, and I can't help but laugh.


End file.
